• We’re unveiling three new features of the Garden

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January 30, 2017 by 

Chizuko “Mary” Sakaishi

On Saturday, February 18 from 11:00 to 12:00, just prior to the Mammoth Auction, the Bonsai Garden will unveil our new Companion Plant display, our second bonsai from the 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition, and the first of our new display benches. The new Companion Plant display is dedicated to Chizuko “Mary” Sakaishi and funded by her family who will attend the ceremony. Mary, known as the “queen of accent plants” left us with a most a positive legacy of living art and charm. She shared her love and knowledge of plants with others throughout the bonsai community. She created wonderful Kusamono centerpieces for the conventions and club shows and led workshops at the Shohin Seminars in Santa Nella, and for club demonstrations.

This historic green Atlas Cedar has been in the Thomas’ family since the closing of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. In attendance for the unveiling will be David C. Thompson, the current guardian of the tree, and Phoebe Ellsworth of St. Helena, the granddaughter of Margaret and Edwin Thomas of Palo Alto who originally received the tree from Makoto Hagiwara, the creator of the permanent Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

David Thompson with Atlas Cedar

Jay van Arsdale

The GRO (Garden Revitalization Opportunity) project has received a grant from the Walter & Elise Haas Fund to replace our decaying display benches with new ones constructed using joinery carpentry techniques like those employed in creating our entry gate. Jay van Arsdale, local master joinery carpenter, lecturer, teacher, and author is working with his students to create display benches, windows in the Garden wall, and a display box for our largest bonsai. One of the first display benches will hold the Atlas Cedar from the Pan Pacific Exposition.

Bonsai Garden Curator, Kathy Shaner, and GSBF president, Scott Chad, will be on hand to add there wit and charm to the proceedings. Refreshments will be served during the Mammoth Auction to follow immediately the dedications.

If you wish to contribute to our YouCaring crowd funding campaign to support our GRO project, please visit HERE.

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